Everything You Ever Needed to Know About Coping With ... · Everything You Ever Needed to Know About Coping With Student Life, But Were Afraid to Ask . Published by Student Counselling

Psychologist Recommended Strategies to Cope With:

Stress

Depression

Sleep Problems

Procrastination

Test Anxiety

Panic Attacks

Anger

Lack of Assertiveness

Perfectionism

Kim Maertz, Ph.D., R. Psych.

Everything You Ever Needed to

Know About Coping With Student

Life, But Were Afraid to Ask

Published by Student Counselling Services (2005),

University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Copyright © 2005 Student Counselling Services,

University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Registration No. 1031516. No part of this booklet may

be reproduced without permission of the author.

Contact: Dr. Kim Maertz

Student Counselling Services

2-600 Students’ Union Building

University of Alberta

Edmonton, Alberta

Canada

T6G 2J7

ISBN 1-55195-194-0

Table of Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1

Stress

Identification .......................................................................................................... 2

Coping Strategies ................................................................................................... 3

Depression

Identification .......................................................................................................... 8

Coping Strategies ................................................................................................... 8

Sleep Problems

Identification .......................................................................................................... 10

Coping Strategies ................................................................................................... 10

Procrastination

Identification .......................................................................................................... 15

Coping Strategies ................................................................................................... 15

Test Anxiety

Identification .......................................................................................................... 22

Coping Strategies ................................................................................................... 22

Panic/Anxiety Attacks

Identification .......................................................................................................... 26

Coping Strategies ................................................................................................... 27

Anger

Identification .......................................................................................................... 34

Coping Strategies ................................................................................................... 34

Lack of Assertiveness

Identification .......................................................................................................... 39

Coping Strategies ................................................................................................... 39

Perfectionism

Identification .......................................................................................................... 43

Coping Strategies ................................................................................................... 44

References ................................................................................................................... 47

Acknowledgements

The information in this booklet was originally compiled to provide individual handouts to

students on common issues that students present with at Counselling Clinical Services,

University of Alberta. Many thanks to Heather Luchkow for researching the various topics

included in this booklet. Thanks, as well, to Dr. Howard Saslove (Director – Student

Counselling Services) for giving me the time to work on the handouts and eventually

compile them into a booklet.

This booklet is an attempt to consolidate all of the handouts, and make them accessible to a

larger audience than just students accessing our service. Again, I owe thanks to Heather

Luchkow for co-ordinating the graphic design for the booklet cover, for compiling and

typing the references and for many other tasks which are too lengthy to list. Many thanks to

Barb Goakery for typing all of the handouts and the final document. Finally, I would like to

acknowledge Dr. Cristelle Audet for editing the handouts, and my wife Carol Maertz for a

final edit of the document.

1

Introduction

This booklet was written to provide students, faculty, advisors and staff within various

academic settings (i.e., colleges and universities), a succinct yet comprehensive presentation

of many common psychological issues that students struggle with as they face the challenges

of their academic years. These materials will focus both on how to identify these

psychological issues and on successful strategies that can be applied on a self-help basis, to

cope with or overcome these concerns. The issues that are addressed in this booklet are

considered to be some of the most common issues that are addressed within a university or

college counselling setting, and which are most amenable to a self-help type format. This

booklet includes information on the following student concerns: stress and anxiety,

depression, sleep problems, procrastination, test anxiety, panic attacks, anger, lack of

assertiveness and perfectionism.

Any of the above issues could be addressed by students through a counselling process, and

often are, but many students prefer to deal with these kinds of life issues on their own. If not

on their own, many students would find it easier to discuss these kinds of concerns with a

friend, family member, residence coordinator, faculty advisor or another trusted person rather

than a counsellor or psychologist. As a result, this information is not only helpful for

students who are struggling with these problems, but for any individual who interacts with

these students and wants to help from a place of knowledge to make the support more helpful.

Of course, information alone does not produce change in a student’s life. The strategies in

this booklet need to be applied, often on a consistent basis, to see meaningful results.

Students who have already applied these coping strategies consistently have been able to

make significant positive changes in their lives, making their overall university/college

experience exciting, rewarding and appropriately challenging, rather than frustrating, stressful

and overwhelming.

More so today than at probably any other time, successfully coping with college or university

life has become very difficult. Students no longer need to cope with only the demands of

their studies, but also have to face many new challenges due to our changing economy,

changing social structures and our highly competitive learning environments. Out of

necessity, students frequently have to work one or more jobs to pay for their ever-increasing

tuitions. Many students are not getting the financial or emotional support they need, due to

more and more families that are fragmented by separations and divorce. Demands on

students for high grades to get into certain faculties or graduate schools are skyrocketing,

since so many students today are seeking out post-secondary training. These changes and

many others, too lengthy to mention here, have significantly contributed to the psychological

issues addressed in this booklet.

This is the information that students need to know to be successful in university or college,

but were afraid to ask.

2

STRESS

Identification:

There are many and varied stressors unique to and imbedded within the college or university

experience. Living, in fact, is inherently stressful but how we manage it will determine the

number and severity of the stress related symptoms we experience. Many people do not

recognize the symptoms or choose to ignore them. Stress related symptoms can be broken

down into four major categories. These include:

1. Emotional

Anxiety

Irritability

Anger

Depression

2. Cognitive

Difficulties concentrating

Memory problems

Confusion

3. Physical

Sleep disturbance

Fatigue

Headaches

Change in appetite

Muscle tension

Gastrointestinal problems

Weight change

Decreased sexual interest

4. Behavioral

Increased substance (i.e., alcohol, drug) use

Social isolation

Conflict with others

These symptoms are your body’s way of telling you something is wrong and you need to pay

attention to them. Symptoms that are ignored ultimately lead to much more serious health

problems, including: hypertension, cardiovascular disease, tension or migraine headaches,

ulcers, asthma, diabetes, cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, multiple sclerosis and eczema. To

reduce both stress related symptoms and the chances of developing these more serious stress

related disorders, try the following strategies.

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Coping Strategies:

1. Diaphragmatic Breathing

When we are under stress, we tend to breathe more quickly and more shallowly.

Fortunately, we have control over our rate of breathing and when we take slow, deep,

diaphragmatic breaths, we will induce the relaxation response in our body. If you are

doing diaphragmatic breathing correctly, you will notice your abdomen rising and

falling with each breath. If you notice instead that your chest is rising and falling more

than your abdomen, you are reducing the efficiency of your breathing. Breathe in to the

count of five and out to the count of five, and you will begin to feel a sense of

relaxation fill your mind and your body.

2. Learn Other Relaxation Skills

Aside from diaphragmatic breathing, there are many other skills one can learn to relax.

These include progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic training, deep muscle

relaxation, imagery training, biofeedback, and self-hypnosis. If you want to learn these

techniques, talk to a counsellor/psychologist at Student Counselling Services (or the

counselling service on your campus) for assistance.

3. Develop A Calming Focus

Focus on something in your immediate environment that is pleasant, beautiful, or

calming. This could be something visual such as a painting, tree, or flower, or it could

be something that stimulates your other senses such as a pleasant smell or taste. Allow

yourself to fully experience whatever it is you are focusing on.

4. Develop A Positive Filter

A lot of stress is created by unknowingly focusing on all of the negativity in the world

around you and in your own life. However, on a daily basis, you can begin to train

yourself to look for the positive. This could involve doing an inventory each day of

what went right, rather than focusing on the problems you have encountered or

mistakes you have made.

5. Avoid Stimulants

There are several substances that, on a physiological level, actually stimulate the stress

response in our body. Two of the most commonly used stimulants are caffeine and

nicotine. If stress is an issue for you, then reducing or eliminating these substances

from your body would go a long way toward reducing your stress level.

6. Be Realistic About What You Can And Cannot Control

A great deal of stress can be created in one’s life by either trying to control events or

other people we cannot control. The first step in reducing this source of stress is to

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determine whether the stressor is under your control or not. If it is not, learn to accept

it rather than experience the frustration that inevitably follows if you try to change it.

On the other hand, if it is controllable, devise and execute a plan to overcome it.

7. Develop More Realistic Self-Talk And Positive Affirmations

What we say to ourselves has a profound impact on our level of stress and our

perceived ability to cope with it. Look for evidence for the accuracy of your present

self-talk and change those aspects of it that are based on fear or anxiety rather than fact.

Replace it with more rational self-statements and/or practice daily positive affirmations.

8. Live In The Present

Much stress is created by living in the past or worrying about the future. Develop a

"one-day-at-a-time" mind set, since we can only really control the present anyway.

Think each morning how you can make this the best day of your life despite any

circumstances that may be challenging. Since none of us knows when our last day is

coming, we have to live as if each day could be our last.

9. Keep A Journal

Instead of keeping all your feelings and thoughts inside, which can lead to a constant

state of worry, express them in a journal which will provide a sense of relief and may

serve as the first step in a more problem-solving process to deal with the underlying

issues.

10. Use Humor

Laughter is considered one of the best medicines for stress. Actively seek out

humorous books, TV shows, movies or life situations that will bring humor into your

life. Do not be afraid to laugh at yourself and your mistakes, rather than dwell on these

and create misery in your life. Be creative to get your daily fix of laughter.

11. Get Support

Research indicates that one of the best ways to combat stress is to develop and rely on a

support system. Whether this be family, relatives, friends, other students, or faculty,

the opportunity to talk to any of these people is a great way to minimize our stress. Do

not be reluctant to open up, since this is how we develop connection with the people

around us and solidify our support system. Lack of connection will undoubtedly lead

to feelings of loneliness and increase our overall stress level.

12. Watch Your Diet

Although most people today realize that our diet has a big impact on our physical

health, fewer people are aware of how much it affects our resistance to stress. Eating a

healthy and well balanced diet is like giving ourselves an immunity to stress.

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13. Take A Holiday In Your Mind

Although taking a real holiday is a great potential stress reducer, it is not always

possible, especially in the middle of a hectic schedule. Instead, take a short (i.e., 1 to 5

minute) vacation in your head. Imagine any scene that you find relaxing, or any place

you have been that is accompanied by positive memories. Try to bring each of your

five senses (i.e., sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch) into the image to increase your

level of relaxation.

14. Let Go Of Perfectionism

Trying to be perfect or do a perfect job is a sure recipe for stress. Realistic goals will

still allow you a sense of achievement but will also give you room to make mistakes,

which are inevitable anyway.

15. Manage Your Time

A major source of stress today for many people, particularly students, is being over-

committed with little time available for rest and relaxation. Developing a reasonable

schedule, which includes both productive activity and fun or relaxing activities, can

significantly reduce stress. Develop a list of activities that you need to accomplish and

prioritize these. Realize that studying all the time without adequate breaks is not the

most effective strategy to get high marks and is a sure recipe for stress.

16. Exercise Or Become Physically Active

Exercise and other physical activity can both significantly reduce stress and prevent the

negative effects of stress. The range of activities that are beneficial are endless and

include such things as walking, running, cycling, swimming, dancing, skiing,

gardening, weight training, hiking, and any number of team sports. Exercise causes the

release of endorphins into our blood stream, which produces a natural "high" that

leaves us calmer and less stressed.

17. Minimize Competition

It is hard to avoid the competitiveness of the world today, particularly within the

university climate. However, to experience less stress and greater satisfaction with

your university experience, try to develop a mind-set where you focus on the joy of

learning rather than competition for high marks. If you can find this type of

satisfaction, it is likely that your marks will in turn improve anyway.

18. Find Solitude

Given all the pressures of university life, time on your own can be an important strategy

to manage your stress. This is particularly true if your day is filled with a lot of contact

with other people. Alone time can be used for relaxation, as a time to reflect on your

life, or as an opportunity to do solitary hobbies or physical activities.

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19. Confront Life Problems Rather Than Ignore Them

As a short-term solution to stress, many people simply try to ignore life problems.

Unfortunately, problems ignored tend to exacerbate over time until a solution is found.

Problem-solving is a skill that definitely develops with practice, so refine your skill.

20. Be Assertive

Learning to openly and honestly express your feelings, values, and beliefs in a way that

respects the rights of others can be a big stress reducer. In particular, this applies if you

have difficulties saying no to other people and become overwhelmed with tasks that

you do not really want to take on.

21. Slow Down Your Life

As society’s pace continues to increase, you can decide to step back and slow down the

pace of your life. Research indicates that as the pace of our life increases, our

productivity and enjoyment decrease and our life stress increases. Slowing down can

actually increase our performance and enjoyment of the work we do.

22. Establish Realistic Goals

Live in the present but plan for the future. Writing out both short and long-term goals

that are realistic and meaningful can reduce a lot of stress by making you more

purposeful and productive. The alternative, which is to procrastinate, leads to high

levels of stress.

23. Cry

Allowing yourself to express some tears when you are emotionally upset can be a great

release and a big stress reducer. Crying is our body’s natural mechanism to reduce

anxiety and tension, although many people, particularly men, are reluctant to use it.

Holding in negative feelings in the long term just does not work.

24. Self-Massage

For many people, stress manifests itself as muscle tension in their body. One strategy

to reduce this tension is to massage yourself if you cannot find someone else to do it for

you. Focus on the neck, shoulders, and face since much of our stress accumulates in

these muscle groups and will ultimately lead to pain if not attended to. Use either firm

circular or back and forth motions with your fingers on these muscle groups.

25. Stretch

Stretching is another way to reduce muscle tension in your body and psychologically

help you experience a sense of relaxation. Focusing on muscles that are most

obviously tight is a good starting point, but you can include your whole body. Just

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shaking a part of your body may also be helpful to reduce tension. Taking up yoga may

provide you a regular opportunity to enjoy the benefits of stretching and relaxation.

26. Spirituality

For some people developing a more spiritual life, whether this be formalized religion or

not, can help reduce stress in a number of ways. Spirituality may help one deal with

some of the more existential questions about life. As well, prayer or meditations can

have a very relaxing effect on the body.

27. Avoid Alcohol Use

If you are turning to alcohol as a way to reduce the pressure of college or university,

realize that it is one of the poorest long-term solutions. Alcohol impairs our ability to

problem-solve and ultimately take control of our life issues. Remember, alcohol is also

a depressant of the central nervous system and will enhance any depressive feelings we

already have.

8

DEPRESSION

Identification:

Changes in mood are a normal part of the human condition. However, when feelings of

sadness or other symptoms of depression are severe, go on for prolonged periods of time, or

significantly affect our daily functioning, then we may be suffering from depression.

Symptoms of depression can vary a lot from person to person, however, some of the most

common symptoms of depression include:

Sadness

Sleep disturbance

Change in appetite

Feelings of hopelessness

Difficulties concentrating

Memory problems

Decreased sexual interest

Social withdrawal

Fatigue

Excessive worry

Self-criticism

Lack of interest in everyday activities

Suicidal thoughts

Remember that depressive feelings and symptoms are on a continuum and treatment is going

to be most successful if it is tailored to your individual situation.

There are many potential ways of coping with depression and reducing depressive symptoms.

Here are 30 of the most common and successful strategies.

Coping Strategies:

1. Become aware of the early warning signs that you are getting depressed so that you can

apply coping strategies at an early stage in the depressive cycle.

2. Identify and deal with any potential stressors that underlie your depression.

3. Schedule your daily activities so that you maintain a routine.

4. Make a daily list of positive experiences or accomplishments to shift your focus to the

positive.

5. Set realistic goals for yourself on a daily basis so that you have a sense of purpose in

your life.

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6. Avoid sleeping during the day as it will disrupt your sleep cycle.

7. Build enjoyable activities into your daily schedule.

8. Exercise on a regular basis.

9. Rebuild or expand your social circle.

10. Live one day at a time rather than always worrying about the future.

11. Maintain a balanced diet.

12. Learn relaxation skills to reduce your life stress.

13. Keep a journal of your thoughts and feelings.

14. Limit your alcohol consumption since alcohol is a depressant of your central nervous

system.

15. Establish a healthy sleep cycle.

16. Listen to your favorite music.

17. Get in touch with your spirituality.

18. Spend time outdoors.

19. Get a pet. It can give you the unconditional support you may be looking for.

20. Develop some new hobbies or return to some old hobbies you previously enjoyed.

21. Stop procrastinating.

22. Develop and use some positive daily affirmations.

23. Bring laughter back into your life through books, TV shows, movies, or other life

situations.

24. Get involved in some volunteer work.

25. Learn how to be more assertive.

26. Try using full spectrum lighting if your depression is worse over the winter season.

27. Get some professional counselling. (Drop in or phone your campus counselling

service).

28. Go to a depression support group.

29. Talk to staff at the Distress Line (ph. {780} 482-4537).

30. Do a trial on an anti-depressant medication. (See your family doctor or a psychiatrist).

10

SLEEPING PROBLEMS

Identification:

Difficulty sleeping is a very common problem, particularly for students on campus. The 2001

Student Life Survey indicated that 31% of University of Alberta undergraduate students

reported that insomnia interfered with their university studies. Problems sleeping can

manifest themselves in a number of different ways including difficulties falling asleep,

frequent awakenings during the night, and early morning awakening. On average, adults

need 7 to 8 hours of sleep to function at an optimum, but there are significant individual

differences in the amount of sleep needed. A good night’s sleep is essential to restore our

body and our mind.

Remember that it may take 2 to 4 weeks of consistent practice, with the following hints, to

experience a significant improvement in your sleep.

Coping Strategies:

1. Control Your Sleep Environment

Creating a healthy sleep environment should include each of the following:

a) Eliminate noise (i.e., ear plugs, white noise generator). A fan, humidifier, or air

conditioner can often serve as a white noise generator.

b) Reduce room light (i.e., window blinds, eye shades).

c) Regulate room temperature (i.e., ceiling fan, air conditioning). If you are too warm

(above 24º C), you will wake up more often, move more during your sleep, and

your deep sleep will be disrupted. Ideal bedroom temperature is 16ºC to 18ºC.

d) Have a good supportive mattress. If you wake up stiff or sore, it could be a sign

that your mattress and box-spring are not giving adequate support.

e) Use a humidifier if the air in your room is very dry since warm, moist air often

helps us breathe easier.

2. Establish A Bedtime Ritual

Make a ritual out of going to bed by trying to do the same activities in the same order

each and every night before you go to bed. Ensure that the routine does not include

stimulating activities within an hour before bed. To relax, listen to calm music, have a

hot bath, read some "light" material, or listen to relaxation tapes.

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3. Set Your Internal Time Clock

Become aware of your own internal time clock and go to bed when you feel tired.

However, as much as possible, get up at the same time each and every day of your life

(even on weekends). Once your internal clock is set, you should feel sleepy at

approximately the same time each night and can then establish a regular bedtime.

Getting lots of morning sunlight will also help regulate your sleep-wake cycle.

4. Do Not Stay In Bed

If you have not fallen asleep within 30 minutes, do not stay in bed. Instead, it is much

better to get up and do something boring (i.e., read, have a light snack, watch TV, listen

to relaxing music).

5. Reserve Your Bed For Sleep And Sex

To form an appropriate association with your sleep environment, sleep researchers

recommend you avoid activities other than sleep or sex in your bed. Studying,

watching TV, reading, eating, or other activities that require mental activity should be

avoided when in bed. Especially avoid late night news programming, violent movies,

and arguments with your partner, family or friends.

6. Be Careful About Napping

Napping during the day will usually disrupt your internal time clock and should be

avoided. If you must nap, do not do so for longer than 30 minutes and ideally do it at

the same time every day. Taking a nap the day after a bad night’s sleep will likely only

perpetuate your sleep problems.

7. Avoid Stimulants

Avoid stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine, particularly before going to bed. Your

last cigarette should be at least 2 to 3 hours before bedtime. Your last cup of coffee

should be no later than 6 to 8 hours before bed. Remember, caffeine is also found in

many foods or drinks besides coffee, such as soft drinks, chocolate, and certain

medications (i.e., Anacin, Midol, Exedrin), including nasal sprays.

Research indicates that smokers generally take more time to fall asleep, awaken more

frequently, and tend to experience disrupted, fragmented sleep more often than non-

smokers.

8. Avoid Alcohol And Marijuana

Even though alcohol or marijuana may make you more relaxed and therefore you may

find it easier to fall asleep, they both disrupt deep sleep and cause more early morning

awakening, leaving you less re-energized by your sleep overall.

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9. Reduce Your Life Stress

Stress is considered the number one cause of sleep problems in North America.

Difficulties managing life stress will usually affect one’s sleep pattern. Learning some

effective stress management skills would be essential to overcome this source of sleep

disturbance.

10. Set Up A Worry Time

If you tend to worry a lot when you go to bed and therefore cannot fall asleep, set up a

"worry time" during the day to think about and problem-solve those issues that are

keeping you awake. Or, if you go to bed and start worrying, get up, go to a "worry

chair", and let yourself worry for 10 to 20 minutes before returning to bed.

11. Use Relaxation Techniques

If you are having difficulties falling asleep, use some relaxation skills (i.e., deep

breathing, autogenic training, deep muscle relaxation, progressive muscle relaxation or

imagery training) to put yourself into Stage 1 of the sleep cycle, and enhance your

chances of a deep sleep. If you are unfamiliar with these techniques, a

counsellor/psychologist can help teach you these skills.

12. Focus On Relaxing Images

Focusing on relaxing images tends to stimulate activity in the right hemisphere of our

brain, which also coordinates the relaxation response in our body. These images could

involve almost anything you find personally relaxing: your favorite place, a trip you

were on, a deserted island, or a place you have always dreamed of traveling to.

13. Exercise Regularly

Exercise regularly so your body feels tired when you go to bed. You are more likely to

experience deep sleep if you exercise. Do not do strenuous exercises within 3 hours of

bedtime however. Exercise increases your core body temperature and sleepiness will

only set in when your body temperature drops. The only exercise just before bedtime

that can help induce sleep is gentle stretching for a few minutes. Strenuous exercise in

the late afternoon promotes the most restful sleep. Exercise is particularly important

the day after a bad night's sleep. Being less active the next day only magnifies your

sleep problems.

14. Take A Warm Bath

Enjoying a hot bath before bedtime will help you relax both mentally and physically.

As your body cools after the bath, you are more likely to fall asleep.

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15. Watch What You Eat

Eating too much before bedtime can disrupt your sleep because your body is actively

involved in the process of digestion. However, going to bed hungry may also disrupt

your sleep, so try a light snack (i.e., warm milk which contains the sleep inducer

tryptophan, bread, cheese, crackers, cookies, cereal, or other snacks high in

carbohydrates). To maximize your chances of sleeping, eat a light breakfast and lunch

but a big meal in the evening at least 4 hours before bedtime.

There are a number of tyrosine rich foods that can disrupt sleep including fermented

cheese, ripe avocados, fermented meats (i.e., salami, pepperoni, bologna), and some

imported beers. Foods high in protein may also induce wakefulness.

16. Avoid Watching Your Clock

Attending to your clock during the night will often increase your sense of worry and

ultimately disrupt your sleep. Turn your clock around or cover it up if you cannot train

yourself to avoid looking at it during the night.

17. Restrict Your Liquid Intake Before Bed

If you drink too much before bed, you may very well disrupt your sleep because you

need to go to the washroom. Trips to the washroom will likely disrupt the quality of

sleep since we do not get the deep restorative phases of sleep if it is interrupted rather

than continuous. Diuretics (i.e., water pills) should be taken in the morning rather than

at night for the same reasons.

18. Assess the Effect Of Your Prescription Medications

Some medications such as birth control pills, blood pressure medications, diet pills, and

anti-depressants can affect the sleep cycle. If they do, it may be necessary to switch to

other medications that have the same beneficial effects but do not influence your sleep.

19. Address Any Underlying Medical Issues

There are several medical problems that could interfere with your sleep that are worth

checking out. These include heartburn, asthma, arthritis, angina, chronic pain, and

breathlessness.

20. Use Sleeping Pills Very Cautiously

The occasional use of sleeping pills may help, but using them more than a couple of

nights at a time will likely throw off your normal sleep cycle and cause problems in the

long run. Sleeping pills lose their effectiveness with extended use, can be addictive,

may cause "rebound insomnia" when you stop using them, and may interfere with the

most restorative stages of sleep.

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21. Do Not Panic

If you cannot sleep, do not panic. The more you panic the less chance you will sleep.

Sleep is a natural process you do not want to force. Just let it happen. Remember, we

can still function without much sleep even though it does not feel very good. Perhaps

you do not need as much sleep as you think, or look at it as more time to live.

15

PROCRASTINATION

Identification:

At its simplest level procrastination means putting off until tomorrow that which could be

done today. It is estimated that 90% of university students procrastinate and 25% of those

students are chronic procrastinators. Procrastination is considered almost universal, but

university students are particularly susceptible because of the large amount of work expected

of them, the amount of unstructured time available to them, and the high number of more

desirable distractions open to them. In fact, procrastination is a very complex psychological

behaviour that can have numerous causes and is not just a simple problem of poor time

management. Procrastination inevitably leads to feelings of guilt, inadequacy, self-doubt,

frustration, and depression.

Despite its complex nature, procrastination can be beat. Here are some of the most common

strategies to get a handle on it.

Coping Strategies:

1. Understand Why You Procrastinate

There are many potential reasons students procrastinate and understanding these can

help you overcome your procrastination. Many students assume that they are just lazy

or have no self-discipline, but it is rarely this simple. Think about what you might have

to gain by procrastinating. It would likely help to explore these reasons with a

counsellor where you can develop a plan to deal with them. Some of the common

causes of procrastination include:

(a) Perfectionism

Perfectionism refers to having unrealistically high standards or expectations for

yourself. Fears of doing less than a perfect job can stop you from even beginning

the task or cause you to agonize over every aspect of it.

Strategy: Realize that perfection is unobtainable and that you will feel worse if you

do not complete the task at all. Praise yourself for what you have done and

reassure yourself that perfection is not necessary to be successful in university.

(b) Feeling Inadequate

If you believe that your skills are inadequate, it can sometimes feel easier to not

even put yourself to the test rather than try and fail. In this way you can blame

your poor performance on lack of effort rather than your "innate skills."

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Strategy: Realize that much of a student’s success in university is about a

consistent work ethic rather than their innate abilities. By putting in the effort,

your marks will improve and your sense of inadequacy will ultimately fade.

(c) Undeveloped Study Skills

Students who have not developed effective study skills can be very frustrated with

the process of studying because it is not paying off and leaves them feeling bored

rather than stimulated. As a result, it becomes easier to procrastinate than face

your study materials.

Strategy: Developing some effective study skills can leave you feeling more

satisfied with yourself and will ultimately pay off in your marks. The Academic

Support Centre (on the U of A Campus) is available to assist you in your study skill

development through both workshops and individual assistance.

(d) Aversion To Discomfort

Due to the sheer volume of information you need to assimilate as a student and the

complexity of the material, it requires one to face a lot of discomfort. Some

students have never been trained or have never trained themselves to face and work

through this discomfort.

Strategy: Practice pushing yourself on uncomfortable tasks so that you can

experience the sense of gratification that this brings. You will never learn to enjoy

the feelings of discomfort, but a more positive habit will be reinforced by the

longer term gratification of better marks and improved self-esteem.

(e) Resentment

Resentment in university can be generated from a number of sources including:

being pushed to go to university/college by your teachers or parents, being

disillusioned with the academic environment and high expectations, not feeling like

your instructors care about you personally, or not getting into the program you

wanted. One possible way of expressing your resentment is to passively resist

doing the required work since no one can make you do it.

Strategy: Dealing directly with the source of your resentment would be most

appropriate. This may require you to talk directly with your parents, instructors,

the university administration, or a counsellor.

(f) Being Overextended

If you are overloaded with demands, you will likely feel overwhelmed which can

paralyze any productive actions.

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Strategy: Begin by evaluating your obligations and demands and prioritize these.

Then determine what you can delay, delegate, or possibly even omit from your list.

Finally, put all of your energy into your high priority tasks.

(g) Lifestyle Issues

If you are in the habit of sleeping in everyday, have become addicted to the

Internet, or party too often and too hard, then these lifestyle issues may tie

back into your procrastination.

Strategy: First you need to identify which lifestyle issues are affecting your

academic performance and then focus your energy directly on these issues.

Specific strategies to deal with them will depend on the issue.

(h) Fear Of Success

Some students are afraid of being too successful due to a variety of concerns

including: not feeling it is "cool", not wanting to have to maintain these same high

standards of success, fears that they will be rejected by their peers, or concerns

others will be jealous of them.

Strategy: Understand that your success in university transcends your immediate

connection with peers or the opinions of others around you. Being successful in

university/college is a gift you give yourself and it impacts your long-term

happiness and well-being.

(i) Overwhelming Negative Emotional States

High levels of anxiety, depression, or other negative emotions makes focusing on

your academic work difficult and procrastinating easy. Worrying can become your

dominant coping strategy rather than taking actions to get your work completed.

Strategy: If you have not been able to manage your emotions on your own or with

the help of family or friends, perhaps it is time to investigate the option of

counselling. Student Counselling Services (or the counselling service on your

campus) can help you identify the sources of your negative emotions and develop

strategies to better manage them.

2. Visualize Your Life Without Procrastination

Imagine yourself without all the stress that procrastination brings, having marks you are

proud of, having free time without guilt, not having to put in "all nighters" before an

exam, and having your work done before the deadlines. This could be you! Visualize

how you would act, think, and feel and then make it your life. Begin by acting like a

non-procrastinator for an hour, a day, or a week to see what it feels like.

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3. Accept That There Is No Magical Cure

Overcoming procrastination will take energy like all good things in life. But

realize that it may be more about working smarter than about working harder.

Procrastination can actually sap our energy, whereas accomplishing goals can give one

back enthusiasm for college/university. Learning may actually become fun again!

4. Set Realistic Goals

Procrastinators tend not to set goals or if they do, they are unrealistic and therefore

unattainable. Set goals that are specific, measurable, realistic, and time limited. Be

sure to write out your goals so you can refer back to them when you need to.

5. Prioritize Your Goals

Since as a student your time is both limited and often unstructured, you need to decide

what is most important and work on these goals first. Then work your way down to the

lower priority items.

6. Develop A Plan Or Schedule

Once you have established your goals and prioritized them, you need to develop a

specific plan as to how you will achieve them. This would likely take the form of a

daily or weekly schedule or to-do list. A good plan can be the most effective way to

overcome procrastination. Do not beat yourself up if you do not stick to the schedule

rigidly. All plans require flexibility. Do not forget to schedule in time for exercise,

sleep, meals, relaxation, and socializing. Fine-tune your schedule after a week or two

to make sure it works for you.

7. Just Get Started

Do not wait until inspiration hits to begin a task. Just begin now and your chances of

completing the task will go up enormously. Start with whatever task is easiest to do

first so you experience some immediate success. Reading over lecture notes or

reviewing a chapter you have already read may be an easier start than completing a

difficult assignment. Commit yourself to the task for at least 5 or 10 minutes.

8. Break Down Large Projects

Since large projects can be particularly overwhelming, break them down into small

manageable pieces. We can do even the most undesirable tasks for short periods of

time. Start early on big tasks and work on them on a daily basis even for a few

minutes. Do not think that the only way to work is in big blocks of time.

9. Reward Goal Attainment

The best way to develop a positive work habit is to reward yourself when you have

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achieved even the smallest of tasks since we are more likely to repeat those behaviours

that are rewarded. Rewards can include almost anything you enjoy such as TV

watching, time with friends, hobbies, talking on the phone, your favorite foods, or a

weekend away. Keeping a journal of what you have accomplished can be rewarding in

itself.

10. Develop More Rational Self-Talk

Keep a record of all of the excuses you use to avoid doing your work, and write them

out on one side of a paper. Then begin to challenge the faulty reasoning behind them

and write more realistic thoughts on the opposite side of the page. For example:

Excuses

Rational Self-Talk

"I’m not in the mood."

"I’m never in the mood. Mood doesn’t get

my work done."

"I’ll do it tomorrow."

"If I get it done now, I can enjoy my free

time rather than feel guilty."

"I’m too lazy."

"Labelling only makes me feel bad; the

work still needs to be done."

"I work better under pressure."

"I’m tired of all the stress that leaving it to

the end brings."

"There’s lots of time to get it finished."

"The sooner I get it finished the sooner I can

play."

Each time you catch yourself using an excuse to avoid your work, engage in this same

process so that over time you will train yourself to recognize your excuses and think in more

realistic terms.

11. Focus On What Has Been Accomplished

Once you begin your plan, focus on what you have done rather than what is left to do.

Remember that success breeds success so focusing on your accomplishments is much

more motivating. Dwell on success rather than on failure.

12. Choose Your Work Environment Carefully

Working at home can be more convenient, but it may also be full of distractions (i.e.,

TV, food, telephone, family, friends, internet, etc.). Working in the library or an empty

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classroom may be a better choice. Make sure you go there with everything you need to

study. If you choose to work at home, make sure the environment is most conducive.

Study at a desk or table, ensure that it is quiet and has enough light, and be sure the

desk is neat and organized.

13. Choose Your Classes Carefully

If you really dislike your classes, motivating yourself to study or complete

assignments will be only that much more difficult. Choose classes based on your

passion and procrastination will be much less of a threat to your success.

14. Do Not Stop Trying Even If It Is Difficult

If you get stuck temporarily, shift to an easier task and come back to the obstacle later.

If this does not work, talk to a classmate, friend, or instructor about the assignment or

material. This input may be enough to push you through the road block. Or start on a

different part of the assignment or study material. You do not have to work

methodically from the beginning to the end.

15. Set Aside A Time For Your Worries

If during your study time you tend to focus on or worry about other issues in your life,

set aside a specific time during the day to worry. If you begin to worry, remind

yourself that you can hold off thinking about the issue until your "worry time." Use

your worry time to decide which of your worries are about issues you can control and

which are outside your control. Then accept the issues you cannot control and develop

a plan to overcome the issues you can control.

16. Develop A Study Buddy

If you have a friend or classmate who has not fallen prey to procrastination, see if they

are willing to become your "study buddy." This will help reduce feelings of loneliness

or the sense of deprivation one often feels by studying for longer periods of time alone.

You would, however, likely need to establish rules around interruptions and breaks so

that you do not sabotage each other’s work.

17. Use Prompts

To remind yourself of your goals, write or design reminders that you can post in

various places (i.e., car steering wheel, TV, mirror, refrigerator, on front door). The

more we remind ourselves of our goals, the more likely we will follow our plans.

18. Determine When You Work Best

People tend to have certain times of the day when they are most productive. Some

people are most productive in the morning, others at night. When you have determined

your most productive time, reserve it for your most important or difficult tasks.

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19. Let Go Of Perfectionism

Trying to write the perfect essay or do the best ever assignment may seem

overwhelming. Instead, expect that with most written work you will need to do one or

two drafts and realize that editing is just part of the process. Write the first draft

without censoring yourself.

20. Write A Contract

Make a contract with yourself to complete your goal, or better yet make it with

someone else you feel cares about your success. Put the contract in writing and sign it

to give it more weight.

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TEST ANXIETY

Identification:

Some anxiety before or during tests is to be expected and can, in fact, enhance our motivation

to study and our test taking ability. However, when anxiety reaches levels that are actually

detrimental to our performance -- in terms of either our ability to study for a test or our ability

to take it -- then it is often labeled as test anxiety.

One should also distinguish between anxiety that occurs because of inadequate preparation

for a test and anxiety that occurs despite adequate preparation. We would expect high levels

of anxiety if we were unprepared to write an exam. However, if you are well prepared and

still experience a sense of panic, then you are likely experiencing test anxiety.

Some of the symptoms that are commonly associated with test anxiety include:

Emotional

Panic

Fear

Anger

Wanting to cry

Inappropriate

laughter

Feeling helpless

Worry about

failing the exam

Cognitive

Going blank on questions

Difficulty reading and

understanding exam questions, or

needing to reread them

Difficulty organizing your thoughts

in written responses

Doing poorly on the exam even

though you know the material

Being easily distracted during the

exam

Remembering the right answer after

the exam

Physical

Upset stomach

Sweating and

trembling hands

Muscle tension in the

shoulder and back of

the neck

Dry mouth

Pounding heart

Headache

Coping Strategies:

1. Thorough preparation is absolutely key to reducing your level of anxiety and could

include any of the following strategies:

Review all available information including your textbook, lecture notes, and previous

assignments and labs.

Discuss anything confusing in the above materials with other students, teaching

assistants, or instructors.

Review information over the course of days and weeks if possible, rather than

cramming.

Develop a specific study schedule and stick to it closely.

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Generate some questions based on your textbook and lecture notes and try to answer

them.

If you do not have time to study all of the course information, ask your instructor what

would be more important to focus on and study it well.

Take a practice exam under conditions similar to the real exam.

2. Change your overall mindset by focusing on the following ideas:

A real education is about learning rather than marks.

One test will rarely change your life -- there will be more.

Grades do not have to reflect your self-worth.

Success should be evaluated on whether you followed your study plan rather than your

grades. They will improve over time.

Grades do not necessarily predict your future success.

3. Identify, challenge, and ultimately change any negative self-talk. Examples of typical

negative self-statements include:

"I’m going to fail this exam."

"Everyone else knows this material better than I do."

"Why even bother to study? It never pays off."

"The exam questions never reflect what I know anyway."

"I can never do well on this kind of exam (i.e., multiple choice, short answer, essay)."

Once you have identified your typical negative self-talk, look for evidence for it and if

there isn’t solid evidence, create more accurate and positive self-talk such as:

"This test will be difficult, but I have time to prepare."

"I don’t know how prepared other people are. I just need to put in my best effort."

"Consistent study will usually pay off."

"The more I know, the better I will perform."

"I need to learn how to write these kinds of exams."

4. Use thought stopping to get yourself out of any vicious cycles of worry. This can involve

attaching an elastic band to your wrist and flicking it lightly on your wrist to change the

focus of your attention. Yelling "stop" or another word or phrase may also be helpful,

either alone or in conjunction with the above strategy.

5. Learn how to relax your body using some of the following psychologically based

relaxation skills:

Diaphragmatic Breathing -- breathe slowly and deeply to the count of five as you

inhale and then again five as you exhale. If you are doing it properly, both your chest

and then your stomach will rise as you inhale.

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Autogenic Training -- repeat certain key phrases to yourself as you progressively relax

your body. These include:

"Breathing smooth and rhythmic."

"My heartbeat is calm and regular."

"My arms and hands are heavy and warm."

"My legs and feet are heavy and warm."

"I am calm."

Progressive Muscle Relaxation -- tighten then relax different muscle groups in your

body. Hold tension in the muscle for approximately 7 seconds and then relax the

muscle for 20 to 30 seconds. You can target any muscle group in your body,

particularly those that are chronically tense.

Passive Muscle Relaxation -- progressively focus on each muscle group in your body,

starting from either your head or your feet, and use the power of your mind to relax

that part of your body. Imagining a wave of relaxation flowing through your body

may help.

Imagery -- focus on whatever images you find most relaxing, whether that is a trip to

the beach or sitting in front of a fire. Use all of your five senses to heighten your level

of relaxation.

6. Self-care: Anxiety is reduced when we are taking care of our basic needs and making self-

care a priority. This would include:

Maintaining a regular exercise routine.

Establishing a healthy diet.

Developing a regular sleep cycle and getting plenty of sleep the night before the exam.

Do not pull an all-nighter.

Stay involved in both recreational and social activities to enhance your overall well

being.

Take frequent breaks while studying.

7. Prepare yourself the day of the exam in the following ways:

Eat a sensible breakfast. Overindulging the day of the exam may lead to sluggishness

and/or an upset stomach.

Relaxing (using the previously described techniques) an hour before the exam rather

than studying. Cramming at that stage will not pay off.

Arrive early (5 - 10 minutes) to the exam location so that you can pick a seat you are

most comfortable with (i.e., away from distractions).

Bring some distracting materials (i.e., newspaper, magazines) to focus on before the

exam or go for a short walk.

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Avoid classmates who may increase your anxiety with questions you cannot answer or

whose own anxiety is contagious.

Avoid caffeine (i.e., in coffee, tea, or soft drinks) before the exam.

8. During the exam use some of the following strategies:

Quickly review the whole exam before you answer any of the questions.

Take time to read the instructions carefully, twice if you need to. Remember this is

time well spent.

Begin by answering the easiest questions first to build up your sense of confidence.

If you blank out on a question or cannot answer it, skip it and go on to another.

When you are unsure about an answer, mark the question and go back to it if you have

time at the end of the exam.

If you get overwhelmed with anxiety, use some of the relaxation techniques you have

learned to relax your mind and your body.

Keep track of the time so you can pace yourself appropriately. How much time you

spend on a question should depend on how much the question is worth.

If you are unsure about what is being asked in a question, ask the instructor or proctor

for clarification.

Eliminate any negative self-talk and replace it with more helpful statements to

yourself.

Use other distraction skills to reduce your anxiety such as: sharpening your pencil,

having a drink, eating a snack, or going to the washroom.

Avoid focusing on what other students are doing during the exam as this is an

unhealthy distraction.

Do not panic when you are not the first to hand in your exam. You do not get extra

marks for finishing early.

Use any extra time to review your answers, but do not change your answers unless you

are sure they are correct.

9. After the exam, try the following:

Reward yourself whether you think you did well on the exam or not. Reward your

effort.

Focus on what you did right rather than any mistakes you may have made.

Do not discuss the exam questions with other students. It will likely only increase

your anxiety.

Evaluate your success in reducing your anxiety and develop a new plan to reduce it

further on your next exam.

Do not immediately start studying for another exam. Take some time to relax first.

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PANIC/ANXIETY ATTACKS

Identification:

Research has indicated that a surprisingly large number (i.e., 35%) of college and university

students have experienced a panic/anxiety attack. People who experience panic attacks often

describe them as “the worst feeling they have ever had”. People frequently experience their

first panic attack in late adolescence and through their 20s. Panic attacks tend to increase in

frequency, severity and duration, without some form of treatment. Approximately 3% of the

population go on to develop panic disorder, which includes recurring panic attacks with fears

of more attacks.

The most commonly reported symptoms of panic attacks include:

Shortness of breath

Intense fear, dread, or terror

Tightening, discomfort, or pressure in the chest, neck, or back

Racing or pounding heart

Sweating

Lump in the throat or choking sensations

Dizziness or light-headedness

Faintness

Shaking or trembling

Tingling in the hands or feet

Dry mouth

Nausea or butterflies in the stomach

Hot flashes or chills

Needing to urinate or defecate

A strong desire to escape the situation

De-realization (i.e., feeling unreal or dreamy)

Depersonalization (i.e., feeling outside of yourself)

Irrational thinking and irrational fears

Remember, not everyone experiences the same symptoms or all of the symptoms listed.

These vary based on your own individual biological makeup. However, since these

symptoms can be very intense, they are frequently misinterpreted and people often think they

are dying, having a heart attack, going crazy, suffocating, going to faint, losing control over

their bodies, or going to embarrass themselves. Due to these fears, people often also come to

fear that they will have another panic attack and frequently come to avoid either places or

situations they believe may trigger another panic attack. Fortunately, these fears are

unfounded and people can learn to both reduce and ultimately eliminate their panic attacks.

The following strategies will help you better understand and cope with your panic attacks.

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Coping Strategies:

1. Go For A Medical Consultation

Before you do anything else, it is very important that you see a physician to rule out

any potential medical reasons for your symptoms. In the vast majority of cases there

are no medical concerns and knowing this in itself will produce a significant sense of

relief. If there are specific medical issues that can explain your symptoms, address the

medical conditions and your symptoms will likely resolve without further treatment.

2. Know That Panic Attacks Are Treatable

Realize that panic attacks are highly treatable if you are willing to educate yourself

about the nature of panic attacks and both learn and use the strategies listed in this

handout. Statistics indicate that by using these strategies, 80 to 90% of people will

experience relief. Some people may need to enhance these techniques with medication

if they have not responded to the strategies after a significant trial period.

3. Realize That Panic Attacks Can Do No Harm

Understand that a panic attack cannot and will not cause you any harm or any of the

following, even though you may fear it will happen. Panic attacks do not cause:

Heart attacks

Mental illness

Respiratory failure

Suffocation

Fainting

Loss of balance

Loss of bodily control

Strokes

Death

Panic attack symptoms have never harmed anyone. Each of these fears is completely

imaginary because you simply have not understood what is happening to your body, the

bodily changes feel so intense, and the symptoms have often occurred for no apparent

reason. Panic attacks can even wake you up out of your sleep.

Understand that panic attacks are a normal bodily response to perceived danger which

occur even though there is no real danger in the situation. This response is commonly

referred to as the stress response or the fight and flight response and has great survival

value in that it prepares our body to either fight or flee a dangerous situation. In a panic

attack, the changes are physiologically indistinguishable from the stress response but

serve no useful function since there is no real danger.

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Since the symptoms of a panic attack can be intense, they can also be very frightening.

Realize that this response poses no danger to your body and could go on for hours or

days without any adverse effect. Each physical symptom you experience can be

explained completely when you understand the purpose of the fight and flight response

(i.e., to get your body ready to deal with a dangerous situation).

4. Do Not Try To Stop All Symptoms

Do not try to stop the panic attack immediately since this will prove unsuccessful and

lead to more anxiety, fear, and frustration. Do begin to apply the strategies you are

about to learn to calm your body and your mind.

Once adrenalin is released into your body, it will take some time to metabolize so you

cannot stop the panic attack that second. Some symptoms will be experienced, but it

will be short lived if you do not overreact to the symptoms. The symptoms will peak in

3 to 5 minutes and then quickly subside.

5. Develop An Accepting Attitude Toward Your Symptoms

Try to develop an understanding and accepting attitude toward your symptoms,

knowing that there is no real danger. Allow yourself to simply accept what is

happening in your body with the knowledge that you know how to manage it. Do not

try to fight your symptoms. Just give them time to pass.

6. Use Positive Self-Statements

Write out and, at the initial stages of the panic attack, begin to repeat some positive

coping statements in your mind. You can use a single phrase or combination of

statements, depending on what is successful for you. Use those statements that are

most relevant to you and your symptoms. Some common positive coping statements

include:

"I know what is happening to my body. I just need to begin my breathing."

"I can accept the changes in my body because they pose no threat to me."

"The worst that can happen is I’ll feel uncomfortable. I can live with that."

"I know what to do. I’ve handled this effectively before."

"This never lasts long if I use my strategies."

"This is good practice to apply what I’ve learned."

"I can’t stop the symptoms this second and I don’t need to."

"I can survive this. I’ve done it before."

"This is only anxiety. I’m not going crazy."

"I need to just go with the flow."

"This isn’t a heart attack. I’ve had it checked out medically."

"Nothing serious can happen to me. It’s just unpleasant."

"This is just the fight and flight response. There is nothing to fear."

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7. Learn And Practice Diaphragmatic Breathing

In conjunction with your positive coping statements, begin to do some diaphragmatic

breathing. Since the fight and flight response is what we refer to as an all-or-none

response, all you need to do is change one component of it to get control of the other

symptoms. Since our breathing is under our conscious control, this is the first and often

best place to start to induce the opposite response (i.e., the relaxation response in our

body).

Diaphragmatic breathing involves slowly breathing in through your nose to the count of

5 and exhaling through your mouth again to the count of 5. If you are breathing

properly, your stomach will rise at the end of each inhale. Put your hand on your

stomach to assess whether you are breathing properly. Also remember that learning to

do diaphragmatic breathing is a skill and therefore, the more you practice it when you

are not having a panic attack, the better you will be able to apply it when you need to.

Diaphragmatic breathing will also prevent you from hyperventilating, which would

only exacerbate a panic attack.

8. Use Distraction Techniques

Engage in a wide variety of distraction techniques to alter the focus of attention away

from the bodily symptoms you are experiencing. The range of potential distractions is

truly limitless and can involve anything from simple repetitive activities to those that

require very focused attention. Examples of some of these activities include:

Counting backwards in threes from 100

Playing with the ring on your finger

Watching the seconds ticking off on your watch

Chewing gum

Working on your computer

Putting together a puzzle

Talking to a friend

Playing a musical instrument

Focusing on your academic or work tasks

9. Become Physically Active

Once adrenalin is released into your body, you will have a significant surge of energy.

Rather than have this energy manifest itself as anxiety or anxiety symptoms, you can

dissipate it through physical activity. This physical activity can take almost any form,

including:

Running

Cycling

Doing household chores

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Gardening

Swimming

Weight training

Stretching your body

Yoga

Any sport

10. Engage In A Pleasurable Activity

Doing anything pleasurable during a panic attack will both distract you from your

symptoms and produce positive feelings that are incompatible with anxiety. Again, the

list of pleasurable activities is endless and depends on your time and interests but could

include:

Going to a movie

Eating a snack or meal

Watching TV

Playing a board game or cards

Getting romantic with your partner

Having a shower or bath

Playing a video game

Going to a concert

11. Keep A Log Of Your Panic Attacks

By keeping a log of your panic attacks, you can learn to understand what triggers them

and thus learn to better control them. Focus your record on what conditions were

present prior to the panic attack. Possible triggers include: stress (acute or chronic),

negative thinking, fatigue, hyperventilation, temperature changes, strenuous exercise,

stimulants (i.e, coffee, nicotine), sugar, changes in your environment, particular people,

mood changes, significant losses, or subtle internal changes (i.e., in heart rate or muscle

tension). Research indicates that people who are prone to panic attacks are overly

focused on subtle changes inside their body and perceive these changes as indicative of

something catastrophic happening in their body. For example, they feel a slight

constriction in their chest and believe that it means they are going to suffocate.

12. Identify Your Early Symptoms Of Panic

Panic attacks typically involve an escalation of symptoms, starting with those that are

very subtle to those that feel overwhelming. If you can develop an awareness of these

more subtle early symptoms and apply coping strategies at this stage, it is much more

likely that you will be able to prevent a full-blown panic attack. Some of the early

symptoms might include sweaty hands, an increase in your heart rate, tightening of

muscles in your body, or dizziness. The more skilled you become at identifying these

early warning signs, the more control you can gain over your panic attacks.

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13. Learn To Rate Your Anxiety Level

Since your level of anxiety and the intensity of your symptoms change over the course

of the panic attack, it can be very helpful to rate your level of anxiety. A rating scale

from 0 to 10 is adequate, where 0 is no anxiety and no other symptoms, and 10 is

extreme anxiety with fears that you are going to die or go crazy and multiple

symptoms.

Once you have learned to rate your anxiety, you can either simply observe the rise and

fall of the rating or learn to apply different coping strategies depending on the ratings.

14. Reduce Your Overall Stress Level

A few simple changes to your daily routine can reduce your overall stress level and

thus make you less susceptible to panic attacks. These could include:

Daily exercise

Eliminating stimulants (i.e., caffeine, nicotine) and sugar from your diet

Maintaining a healthy diet

Slowing down your life

Building up your support system

Doing some form of daily relaxation

Finding solitude

15. Tell Others About Your Difficulties With Panic Attacks

By telling other people about your panic attacks, you will often experience a significant

reduction in anxiety because you will no longer fear being discovered in the midst of

your panic attack. As well, if other people know, they can be both understanding and

supportive. Remember, everyone in the world experiences periods of significant

anxiety and has to learn to manage it. Statistics indicate that up to 30% of the general

population have experienced a panic attack at some point in their lifetime.

16. Do Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercises

Progressive muscle relaxation is a very concrete way to induce a state of relaxation in

your body. It simply involves progressively tightening and relaxing various muscle

groups in your body. Tighten the muscle group for about 7 seconds and then focus on

relaxing it for 25 to 30 seconds. Repeat this throughout every muscle group in your

body or focus only on the muscles that usually tighten up during a panic attack.

17. Use Thought Stopping Techniques

Thought stopping is a commonly used strategy to interrupt a negative thought pattern

that is unhelpful. Since panic attacks often involve a lot of catastrophic thinking, it is

very helpful to interrupt this kind of thinking. To use thought stopping, you would

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simply yell stop or something similar, either out loud or in your head. In addition, snap

a rubber band against your wrist to help physically alter the focus of your attention.

Finally, replace the unhelpful thoughts with some of the positive coping statements

previously discussed.

18. Express Your Feelings

Pent up feelings that have not been expressed can elevate your overall stress level and

make you more prone to panic attacks. Openly expressing your feelings to other people

in ways that respect their feelings can reduce a lot of stress and make you more immune

to panic attacks. Writing out your feelings can also be another healthy way to express

them, in either a journal, log, or letter.

19. Leave The Anxiety-Provoking Situation Temporarily

If your panic attack is becoming overwhelming, you have the option of temporarily

leaving the situation that is inducing the anxiety to reduce your symptoms. However,

because you do not want to reinforce this avoidance behavior in the long term, you do

need to go back into the anxiety-provoking situations as soon as your symptoms feel in

control.

If you are able to manage the panic attack without needing to leave the situation, this is

the preferred strategy to ultimately achieve true control.

20. Use Symptom Induction Techniques

Symptom induction means purposefully arousing some of the symptoms of a panic

attack with the ultimate goal of perceiving them as harmless on an experiential level.

Often, symptom induction techniques are done with the assistance of a psychologist but

can be used on your own, given some guidelines.

Before you apply any of the strategies, please ensure there are no medical

contraindications (i.e., heart problems, asthma, etc.) in using them. Use the induction

techniques for approximately 30 seconds after you notice anxiety or any unpleasant

symptoms. Then repeat the technique once per day until it no longer makes you

anxious. As outlined by Bourne (2000) in The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, these

induction techniques include:

Hyperventilating for two minutes

Holding your nose while breathing through a straw for one minute

Stair climbing for 90 seconds

Spinning around in a desk chair for one minute

Tensing up one of the muscle groups in your body for one minute

After completing any of these symptom induction techniques, practice some of your

previous coping strategies to reduce your anxiety. This whole process will help you see

33

symptoms like rapid heart beat, sweating, dizziness, or tension in your body as

innocuous rather than a sign of impending doom (i.e., you are having a heart attack or

going to suffocate).

21. Make An Appointment With A Psychologist

Although you can develop many of the self-help strategies in this handout on your own,

you may benefit from the additional support and expertise of a psychologist at Student

Counselling Services (or the counselling service on your campus). We can help you

both learn the skills outlined here and use some additional techniques to help you

develop mastery over your panic attacks. Symptom induction techniques can be

particularly helpful if done with a psychologist to challenge any irrational thinking.

22. Try Medication If All Else Fails

Medication may be helpful to relieve your symptoms, but it is considered a last resort

because the other strategies discussed are so potentially effective and medication has

several drawbacks. Some of the medications used include anti-anxiety, anti-depressant,

and beta-blocker drugs. Each of these classes of medications, however, has many

potential side effects. As well, by relying on medications you may not develop the

feeling that you have learned to control the panic attacks through your own actions.

Some research has indicated that once medications are stopped, panic attacks return

(i.e., up to 80% of the time).

34

ANGER

Identification:

Learning anger management strategies is important for people generally and certainly for

students who may meet a wide variety of unique frustrations and challenges as part of their

experience on a college or university campus. Some of these potential frustrations include:

the initial registration process; instructors who may be better researchers than teachers;

receiving poor grades or grades that are seen as unjustified; being placed on academic

probation or asked to withdraw from university; being overtaxed with both academic

pressures and severe financial worries; conflict with friends, roommates or classmates, and/or

having academic supervisors who are uncaring or unduly authoritarian. Of course, this list is

only the most obvious potential triggers for anger and many other day-to-day situations that

can generate anger exist.

People are generally not taught how to deal with their anger other than through modeling and,

unfortunately, there are not a lot of good models out there. Anger, of course, has a biological

basis and serves us well to deal with certain threats to our well being. However, in many

situations, anger is not justified or it is expressed in a way that is inappropriate and negatively

impacts our relationships. As well, anger can significantly affect our health, particularly if it

is chronic. Chronic anger contributes to a variety of illnesses such as heart disease,

hypertension, headaches, digestive problems, susceptibility to infections, cancer, and skin

disorders to mention a few. Anger is probably the least understood and poorly handled

emotion. It is the root of some of our most serious social problems including domestic

violence, prejudice, assaults, murders, wars, and terrorism. Anger can have enormous costs

to you personally and to society in general if not managed appropriately.

Here are some useful strategies to cope better with your anger:

Coping Strategies:

1. Avoid Anger-Provoking Situations

One of the most basic skills in managing anger is to avoid situations, conversations,

and/or people that typically make you angry. Of course, this is not always possible but

can be highly effective when used consciously. What are your triggers and can you

avoid them?

2. Identify Early Warning Signs

Become aware of the early warning signs that you are becoming angry so that you can

use strategies early and prevent anger from getting out of control. Common warning

signs include a raised voice, heart pounding, faster breathing, dry mouth, flushed face

or clenched fists.

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3. Keep An Anger Log

Keep a record of various aspects of your anger. These could include:

The situation that triggered your anger

The thoughts which generated your anger

The intensity of your anger

The techniques you used to control your anger

How well the techniques worked

The consequences of your anger on either yourself or those people around you

By keeping a record like this for a couple of weeks, you will have much more

information about your anger so that you can apply the most appropriate strategies to

manage it.

4. Determine Whether Your Anger Is Justified

Distinguish between anger that is justified and anger that is generated over minor

irritations. Examples of situations where anger is justified and therefore helpful include

when you are physically threatened or attacked, when you are dealing with a social

injustice, or when your boundaries are violated. Anger in these cases can energize you

to take meaningful action to resolve the situation.

5. Delay Responding To Your Anger

Delay responding immediately when you begin to feel your anger building. The longer

you are able to delay your response, the more likely you will be able to respond

rationally rather than explosively. This could involve counting to 10, singing a song in

your head, doing something physical, or focusing on something humorous. Anything

that serves as a distraction to your angry thoughts would potentially work.

6. Assertiveness

Learn the skill of communicating assertively rather than passively or aggressively.

Assertiveness means openly communicating your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and values

in a way that respects the rights of the other person. When you are passive, you fail to

communicate your thoughts and feelings and thus disrespect yourself. When you

communicate aggressively, you express your thoughts and feelings but in a way that is

not respectful of the rights of the other person.

7. Time-Out

Use time-out as a chance to give yourself time to cool down when an argument begins

to escalate. Time-outs are typically used when there is conflict between two people

and, in this case, you need to first agree on the value of time-out. Once this is

established, decide on a time-out signal which can either be verbal (i.e., I need to take a

36

time out) or visual (i.e., a letter T formed by your two hands). Next, the person taking

the time-out needs to tell the other person how long the time-out is for and that they

plan on returning to the topic at issue after the time-out. During the time-out, leave the

room or building and distract yourself with other preferably relaxing activities. Do not

keep re-running the initial conflict in your head.

8. Use Healthy Self-Talk

It is not a situation in-and-of itself that makes us angry but what we say to ourselves

about the situation. Anger-triggering thoughts typically either blame others for our

pain or involve unrealistic expectations for other people’s behavior. Both types of

thoughts involve the belief that the other person is wrong, bad, or deserves to be

punished.

Replace your anger-triggering thoughts with more healthy self-talk. These of course

should be specific to a given situation as much as possible. Some examples of healthy

self-talk include:

"He is only trying to meet his needs, as am I."

"My anger won’t get me what I want. It will only create more conflict."

"She has the right to say no to my requests."

"I don’t need to get upset. I know how to manage my anger."

"People will change only when they want to. I can’t make them."

"Don’t assume anything. I need to check out my assumptions."

9. Put Yourself In The Other Person’s Shoes

Make every effort to see the situation you are angry about from the other person’s

perspective. Realize that we are all primarily motivated by our own needs and most

people do not try to make us angry. People are human and will make mistakes that will

unintentionally impact us.

10. Reduce Stress

Stress is considered one of the essential ingredients that fuels our anger. Therefore any

strategy that reduces our level of stress is also considered an anger management

technique.

11. Relaxation Skills

Just as relaxation skills can be used successfully to manage anxiety and irrational fears,

they can also be used to manage anger. Relaxation exercises on a physiological level

create a state that is incompatible with anger. Simple relaxation skills to counteract

anger include:

Deep breathing from your diaphragm rather than your chest

37

Autogenic words or phrases repeated to yourself such as “calm” or “relax”

Imagery of a relaxing place or a relaxing time in your life

Progressively tightening and relaxing various muscle groups in your body

Focusing on each muscle group in your body and using the power of your mind to

relax it

12. Problem Solving Skills

Develop some effective problem solving skills since a lot of anger can be generated

when we are frustrated and blocked in developing an effective solution to a problem or

issue.

13. Use Rewards And Punishments

Reward yourself for positive efforts to control your anger. This reward can involve

anything that you enjoy. At the same time, punish yourself for any aggressive outbursts

so it no longer proves profitable to express your anger inappropriately. Anger and

aggression can sometimes get us what we want so we also need to devise ways to

eliminate these rewards. For example, talk to loved ones who usually give in to you

when you are angry and advise them to no longer let your anger be rewarded. Ask

them to reward your pleasant interactions instead.

14. Humor

Use humor to de-escalate anger and develop a much more balanced perspective. When

we are angry, we tend to develop a very narrow focus where we feel that things need to

go our way. Humor can allow you to change your focus and take the situation you are

angry about less seriously.

15. Develop A Feeling Vocabulary

Expand your feeling vocabulary since many feelings end up being expressed as anger

when people do not have more accurate words to describe their present emotions.

16. Avoid Angry Subcultures

Avoid people, subcultures, or environments that condone violence or angry outbursts.

Research indicates that when we are around people who express anger in ways that are

unhealthy or inappropriate, we are more likely to model this same behavior.

17. Forgiveness

Practice forgiveness of people by whom you have felt angered. Holding on to your

anger has much more detrimental effects on your own health than the person you are

angry with. Anger expressed inappropriately also ultimately wrecks relationships and

alienates you from people generally.

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18. Anger Transformation

Instead of trying to control your anger, you can take the energy that anger generates and

put it into more positive directions. This could include four types of transformation:

Creative (i.e., artistic expressions, scientific inventions, musical representations)

Social (i.e., social and political activism)

Existential (i.e., wisdom, serenity)

Spiritual (i.e., prayer, meditation, forgiveness, reconciliation)

39

LACK OF ASSERTIVENESS

Identification:

Learning to communicate assertively is an essential skill to both get our needs met and foster

healthy relationships. Some of the more common situations where lack of assertiveness is a

problem include:

Saying “no” to others

Expressing negative feelings

Stating opinions

Responding to criticism

Asking for favors

Returning defective items to a store

Asking someone for a date

Applying for a job or raise

Giving compliments

Resisting pressure of a salesperson

Turning down a request to borrow money

Talking to or disagreeing with your instructor

Of course, many other situations in everyday life can arise which require assertive skills.

Practice the following strategies to improve your assertiveness.

Coping Strategies:

1. Understand the differences between assertive, passive and aggressive communication.

The following descriptions should help.

Assertive – Communicating one’s thoughts, feelings, and beliefs in a way that is open,

honest, and direct, while respecting the rights and needs of the other person.

Assertiveness maximizes the likelihood we will experience a win-win situation. We

feel confident and in control, the other person feels respected and thus, ultimately feels

respect for us.

Passive – Failing to communicate or communicating in a way that disregards your own

rights and needs, or allows others to infringe on your rights. The main purpose of

passive behavior is to avoid conflict at all cost. Although conflict may be avoided, the

passive person often feels humiliated, taken advantage of, angry toward others, and

disgusted at themselves. The other person often feels irritated or disgusted with the

passive communicator. This interaction ultimately becomes a lose-win situation, and

the passive individual feels like a victim.

Aggressive – Expressing one’s thoughts, feelings, and beliefs in a way that violates the

rights and needs of others. The goal of aggressive behavior is to dominate, put down,

40

or humiliate the other person. We ultimately disrespect the other person because our

needs and wishes become more important than theirs. This results in a win-lose, rather

than win-win situation. At the time, we may feel superior and self-righteous, but

afterwards we often feel guilty and/or fearful of revenge. The other person will feel

humiliated, hurt, put down, and angry toward you.

2. Realize that assertiveness involves far more than what we communicate verbally to the

other person. Common non-verbal components of assertion include:

Direct, but not continuous eye contact

Voice tone and volume that is well modulated (i.e., is convincing but not

intimidating)

Facial expressions that are consistent with the messages being expressed

Hand and body gestures which accentuate the message without being a distraction

Body posture which involves facing the other person and could include leaning in

slightly

Overall respect for the personal space of the other person

3. Avoid passive non-verbal behaviors such as:

Evasive or limited eye contact

Hand wringing

Lowered head

Hiding behind your hair

Hands over face or eyes

Turning away from the other person

Hunching the shoulders

Wooden body posture

Soft voice

Hesitant speech

Smiling or laughing when communicating anger

Frequent throat clearing

4. Avoid aggressive non-verbal behaviors such as:

Eye contact that tries to stare down the other person

Excessively loud voice

Not respecting a person’s personal space

A sarcastic or condescending tone of voice

Hand or body gestures that are threatening, such as finger pointing or making a fist

Angry facial gestures

Forcefully touching or pushing the other person

5. Incorporate the following assertive rights into your belief system. You have the right

to:

41

Be treated respectfully and with dignity

Make mistakes

Say no without feeling guilty

Change your mind

Ask for what you want or need

Decide what is best for you

Ask questions

Express your feelings and opinions

Protect yourself from either physical or psychological harm

Show your weaknesses without feeling guilt or shame about them

Be listened to by others

6. Identify and challenge any irrational beliefs you hold, which may lead to passivity.

Some common irrational beliefs which lead to passivity include:

“I need to be liked and approved of by everyone.”

“It isn’t all right to express negative thoughts or feelings.”

“My needs should never come first; this would be selfish.”

“People will not like me, or worse will reject me, if I assert myself.”

“If I hurt others by expressing my feelings, I am responsible for their feelings.”

“I can’t say no to other people’s requests; they will be angry with me.”

“One needs to avoid conflict at all cost.”

“Why bother being assertive since I won’t always get what I want anyway.”

“If people are angry with me for being assertive, I would be devastated.”

7. Identify and challenge irrational beliefs that may lead to aggressive communication.

Some common irrational beliefs which promote aggressive communication include:

“To get what you want, you need to demand it.”

“People will walk all over you if you aren’t strong and aggressive.”

“You need to be aggressive to survive in this world.”

“Other people deserve your aggression if they have in some way wronged you.”

“People will see you as powerful if you aggressively express yourself.”

8. Use “I” statements to express yourself, particularly when expressing difficult negative

emotions. These statements typically involve four parts.

Feeling

Behavior

Effect

Preference

I feel … (describe the feeling)

when … (describe the behavior)

because … (describe the specific effect of the behavior)

I’d prefer … (describe what you would prefer)

Here is an example of what might be said if a friend frequently shows up late for lunch

dates and you want to respond assertively to the issue:

42

E.g., I feel frustrated and angry

when you show up late for lunch

because it doesn’t leave us enough time to enjoy our lunch together.

I’d prefer you only set up a lunch date if you are sure you have the time.

9. In communicating assertively, try to avoid the following:

Assumptions (without having checked them out)

Sarcasm (i.e., "Why did you even bother coming?")

Labeling (i.e., "You’re an ungrateful pig.")

Generalizations (i.e., "You always treat me this way.")

Exaggerations (i.e., "You never treat me well.")

Judgments (use factual descriptions instead)

Statements beginning with “you” (i.e., "You are always late for lunch"). Use “I”

statements instead.

Threats (unless they are reasonable and you are willing to carry them out)

Vague words or descriptions (be specific)

Emotional outbursts (i.e., "You drive me crazy!")

10. Practice your assertive response prior to an encounter by:

Writing out what you plan to say

Visualizing the entire situation in your head before you encounter it

Rehearsing or role-playing the situation with a friend or family member

11. Be prepared to escalate your assertive response if met with resistance. Escalating

assertion begins with a minimally assertive statement that enables you to accomplish

your goal with the minimum effort necessary. If the other person ignores your initial

assertion, you would gradually increase the firmness of your assertion, while still being

respectful.

43

PERFECTIONISM

Identification:

People who are perfectionistic have unrealistically high standards for themselves and/or other

people, and therefore, end up feeling like they or other people are never good enough. Since

achieving perfection rarely if ever happens, particularly in college or university, perfectionists

rarely experience the sense of success and acceptance they are striving for. Instead, they

usually end up with a number of negative feelings including anxiety, depression, frustration,

anger, and guilt. At more severe levels, perfectionism can create such problems as low self-

esteem, writer’s block, test anxiety, procrastination, social anxiety, eating disorders, obsessive

compulsive disorder, immobilization, and suicidal thoughts or actions.

Bosco (1999) describes perfectionistic people as having the following characteristics:

Detail oriented

Focus on rules and structure

High expectations

Neat appearance

Mistakes are avoided

Confidence is low

Highly organized

Significant self-doubt regarding decisions

Trusting the work of others is difficult

Bosco also describes two types of perfectionists:

Inwardly-Focused

Believe that who they are and what they

do is never good enough

May appear successful to other people

but inside feel defective

Worry excessively about making

mistakes

Hide their inadequacies by working

harder than others and worry that their

incompetencies will be discovered

Seek treatment because they are

anxious, depressed, or have low self-

esteem

Outwardly-Focused

Are upset by the way others do their

work

Believe that others do not care about

their work performance

Prefer to do the job themselves rather

than worry about the performance of

others

Seek help because they do not like the

way their lives have gone, do not feel in

control of their lives, and are very

frustrated with other people in their

lives

44

Coping Strategies:

1. Realize that perfection is unattainable and that striving for it is self-destructive. Human

beings are imperfect creations and will always be.

2. Try to become aware of which factors may have contributed to the development of your

perfectionistic attitudes. Some possible factors include:

Family history or genetic link

Parents who responded to mistakes or performance below their standards, with

disapproval and/or withdrawal of affection

Societal demands for perfection or being valued in society for only what you achieve

Chaotic childhoods within which being perfect gave you a sense of control

Significant self-satisfaction when a perfect performance was achieved

3. Distinguish between perfectionism and healthy achievement, and work towards

becoming a healthy achiever.

Perfectionist

Goals are unattainable

Motivated by failure

Cannot accept own limitations

Perceive mistakes as a personal

failure

Are defensive when criticized

Not satisfied with less than

perfection

Healthy Achiever

Goals are high but achievable

Motivated by a desire to succeed

Are aware of and accept their

limitations

See mistakes as a way to learn

See criticism as useful information

Enjoy both the process and outcome

of a task

4. Establish much more realistic goals for yourself based on your past performance and the

level of effort you want to direct towards a goal. Set goals that are sequential in nature

and just beyond what you have achieved before. If you experience anxiety or depression

due to a specific challenge, use the symptoms as an opportunity to ask yourself whether

you have set up impossible expectations for yourself.

5. Clearly establish your priorities since it is impossible to do all activities perfectly. Put

the most energy into your high priority tasks and the least energy into your low priority

projects.

6. Try to understand what you fear will happen if your performance is below your

unrealistically high standards. Focus on what will likely happen and whether you could

indeed handle it. The fears of perfectionists are usually out of proportion to the real

consequences of less than perfect performance.

45

7. Do an experiment with your expectations by aiming for 80% or 70% success rather than

your usual pressure on yourself to get 100%. In this way, you will see first hand that the

world does not end when your performance is at much more of a realistic level.

8. Change the way you view negative or critical feedback. Many perfectionists see

criticism as a personal attack rather than information to simply learn from. Remember

that mistakes are a natural part of the learning process and do not need to be avoided at

all costs.

9. Be willing to be open with other people about the mistakes you have made so that you

can see that you will still be accepted despite them. If you are not, then consider

distancing yourself from these people since this is clearly an unhealthy environment. If

you have been a perfectionist in the past, many people will see you as both more human

and more likeable if you can admit your mistakes.

10. Establish strict time limits for each of your assignments, papers, or projects rather than

spend all of your time on one task trying to make it perfect. When the time limit is up,

move on to the next task. This technique will reduce your tendency to procrastinate,

which is a common aspect of perfectionism.

11. Get a handle on your negative self-talk when you do not achieve a perfect performance.

Develop a keen eye for what you did right rather than what you did wrong. Creatively

construct a new and healthier script for yourself and practice these much more positive

self-statements.

12. Begin to measure your success in a task by how much you enjoyed it rather than your

level of achievement. As you find ways to enjoy your work, you will still perform well

and be more motivated to perform other tasks.

13. Detach yourself from the outcome of your attempts to be successful by judging yourself

based on the effort you put into an activity rather than the results of that effort.

14. Remember the extra effort it takes to achieve perfection is rarely cost effective. You

could be much more efficient overall if you diverted this energy into other activities

instead.

15. Get support from people who are:

Not perfectionists

Are forgiving of mistakes and failures

Able to give you positive feedback about any positive changes you make

Willing to tell you when your expectations are too high

46

16. List the advantages and disadvantages of your perfectionism.

Potential Advantages

Detail oriented

Highly motivated

Self-starter

Independent

Conscientious

Organized

Produce high quality work

Neat and tidy

Reliable

Encourage others to perform at a

high standard

Sensitive

Selective in their choice of friends

High personal satisfaction when

they perform perfectly

Careful not to make mistakes

Unlikely to act impulsively

Potential Disadvantages

Afraid to take risks

Reluctance to share ideas with others

Fearful of criticism

Work slowly

Underestimate the time it takes to

complete a job

Unreasonable expectations

Difficulty delegating their work

Get lost in the details of their work

Fear making a mistake

Stress and anxiety

Tension with other people

Fatigue and exhaustion

Anxiety when things are messy or

disorganized

Difficulty finishing projects

End up doing much of the work

Worrying a lot about their children

Distrust other people’s abilities

Critical of others

Overly selective in choosing a friend or

partner

Unable to tolerate other people’s

weaknesses

Difficulty making decisions

Self-conscious

Self-doubt

Self-criticism

Depression

Now, weigh out the advantages and disadvantages of your perfectionism and you may realize

that the costs are too great. Instead of giving up all aspects of your perfectionism however,

try to hold on to the advantages while letting go of the disadvantages. This would involve

setting specific behavioral goals to overcome the disadvantages. For example, if one of the

disadvantages of your perfectionism is that you always end up doing all the work on a

project, you would establish a goal of delegating a certain percentage of the work to other

people.

47

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and testing center website: http://darkwing. uoregon.edu/~counsel/procrastination.htm

Procrastination is the thief of time. Retrieved from the California Polytechnic State

University student academic services website: http://www.sas. calpoly.edu/asc/ssl/procrastination.html

Procrastination issues. Retrieved from the Acadia University counselling center website: http://admin.acadiau.ca/counsel/studyskills/topics/ procrastination.html

Procrastination: Ten ways to “do it now”. Retrieved from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute

and State University Cook Counseling Center website (original document link no

longer found): http://www.ucc.vt. edu/stdyhlp.html

Putting things off (procrastinating). Retrieved from Cardiff University counselling center

website: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/schoolsand divisions/divisions/stude/cllng/info/proc.html

Stopping procrastination. Retrieved from the University of New England, Australia

counselling website: http://www.une.edu.au/cc/services/ 6_Staying_on_Track.pdf

Techniques to manage procrastination. Retrieved from the Berkeley University student

learning center website: http://slc.berkeley.edu/ calren/procrastechniques.html

The perfect procrastinator. Retrieved from the University of Adelaide Australia counselling

centre: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/counselling _centre/brochures/procrastination.html

Test Anxiety

Managing test anxiety. Retrieved from the University of Western Ontario student

development center: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/learning/mcanx. html

Test anxiety. Retrieved from the University of Buffalo counseling center website: http://ub-counseling.buffalo.edu/stresstestanxiety.shtml

Test anxiety. Retrieved from Hampden-Sydney College counseling center website: http://www.hsc.edu/counseling/selfhelp/test_anxiety.html

Test anxiety. Retrieved from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign counselling

center website: http://www.couns.uiuc.edu/brochures/ testanx.htm

Test anxiety. Retrieved from the University of Missouri-Rolla counseling center website: http://campus.umr.edu/counsel/selfhelp/vpl/ testanxiety.htm

51

Test anxiety. Retrieved from the University of Texas at Dallas counseling center website: http://www.utdallas.edu/student/slife/counseling/ testanx.html

Overcoming test anxiety. Retrieved from the University of Florida counseling center website: http://www.counsel.ufl.edu/selfhelp/testanxiety.asp

Reducing exam anxiety and improving concentration. Retrieved from the York University

counselling and development center website: http:// www.yorku.ca/cdc/lsp/eponline/exam6.htm

Panic Attacks

Answers to your questions about panic disorder. Retrieved from American Psychology

Association website: http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/panic. html

Are you living in fear? Getting a handle on panic attacks. Retrieved from the University of

Texas at Austin Counselling and Mental Health Center website: http://www.utexas.edu/student/cmhc/booklets/panic/ panic.html

Bourne, E. (2000). The anxiety and phobia workbook. Oakland CA: New Harbinger

Publications.

Kennicott, L. M., Kottman, T., & Ashby, J. S. (1998). College students with panic disorder:

What college counselors and student personnel professionals should know. Journal of

College Student Psychotherapy, 13(2), 41-49.

Panic attack. Retrieved from the Anxiety Disorders Association of America website: www.adaa.org/AnxietyDisorderInfor/PanicDisAgor.cfm

Panic attack. Retrieved from: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Panic_attack?OpenDocument

Panic attack symptoms. Retrieved from: http://www.panic-anxiety.com/ panic_attack_symptoms/panic-attack-symptoms.htm

Panic attacks: Panic attacks treatment. Retrieved from: http://www.emedicinehealth.com/articles/18973-6.asp

Panic attack treatment. Retrieved from: http://www.psycheducation.org/anxiety//panic/introduction.htm

Panic disorder: Symptoms, causes and treatment. Retrieved from: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/panic_anxiety_disorder_symptoms_causes_treatment.htm

52

Spotlight on…panic disorder. Retrieved from Calgary Regional Health Authority website.

(no longer found)

Strategies for managing the panic attack. Retrieved from: www.smlewis-lmfcc.com/panic.html

What are panic attacks? Retrieved from the Massey University counselling center website: http://student-services.massey.ac.nz/default.asp? articleid=201

Anger Management

Albright, C. The top ten tips for managing anger, conflict, and emotional tension. Retrieved

from: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Albright 8.html

Anger management strategies for kids. Retrieved from: http://www.micheleborba.com/Pages/PRbmi01.htm

Controlling anger: Before it controls you. Retrieved from the American Psychology

Association website: http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/anger. html

Coping with anger. Retrieved from the University of South Florida counselling center

website: http://usfweb2.usf.edu/counsel/self-hlp/anger.htm

Expressing anger constructively. Retrieved from: http://mentalhelp.net/psyhelp/chap13/chap13h.htm

Leonhardt, D. Eight simple anger management tips. Retrieved from: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/leonhardt6.html

McKay, M., Rogers, P. D., & McKay, J. (1989). When anger hurts: Quieting the storm

within. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

Methods for handling our own aggression/anger. Retrieved from: http://mentalhelp.net/psyhelp/chap7/chap7n.htm

Stop destructive arguing before bad things happen. Retrieved from the following website: http://www.realhope.com/free_tips.php

Wallin, P. Myths and facts about anger. Retrieved from: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/wallin12.html

Why am I so angry? Retrieved from the About website: http://arthritis.about.com/cs/emotion/a/anger.htm

Wong, P. T.P. From anger management to anger transformation. Retrieved from: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/wong1.html

53

Lack of Assertiveness

Assertiveness. Retrieved from: http://www.rpeurifoy.com/anger/assert.htm

Assertiveness. Retrieved from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign counselling

center website: http://www.couns.uiuc.edu/brochures/ assertiv.htm

Assertiveness. Retrieved from University of Texas at Dallas counseling website: http://www.utdallas.edu/student/slife/counseling/ assertiveness.html

Assertiveness, non-assertiveness, & aggression. Retrieved from:

http://www.exocortex.org/psych/assertiveness (No longer found)

Assertiveness skills quiz. Retrieved from the Brain Injury Resource Center website: http://www.headinjury.com/assertquiz.htm

Assertiveness training. Retrieved from: http://mentalhelp.net/psyhelp/chap13/chap13e.htm

Basic strategies for behaving more assertively. Retrieved from the University of North

Carolina counseling and psychological services website: http://caps.unc.edu/Assert.html

Improving assertive behavior. Retrieved from: http://www.coping.org/ relations/assert.htm

Organizational development & training tip sheet: Assertiveness. Retrieved from the Tufts

University human resources website: http://www.tufts. edu/hr/tips/assert.html

Perfectionism

Bosco, M. R. (1999). Never good enough: Freeing yourself from the chains of perfectionism.

New York, NY: The Free Press.

Brochures: Perfectionism. Retrieved from the Texas State University counseling center

website: http://www.counseling.swt.edu/bro/ perfectionism.htm

Featured tips: Beyond perfectionism. Retrieved from: http://www.family-institute.org/therapy/tips/9perfectionismtips.htm

Overcoming perfectionism. Retrieved from: http://www.coping.org/growth/ perfect.htm

Perfectionism. Retrieved from the Duke University student health center website: http://healthydevil.studentaffairs.duke.edu/health_ information/perfectionism.html

Perfectionism. Retrieved from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign counselling

center website: http://www.couns.uiuc.edu/brochures/ perfecti.htm

54

Perfectionism. Retrieved from the Potsdam University of New York counseling center

website: http://www.potsdam.edu/content.php?

contentID=7EB90335A0127D15A1DFEF824DE4E2CC

Perfectionism. Retrieved from the University of North Carolina counseling and

psychological services website: http://caps.unc.edu/perfection. htm

Perfectionism: A double-edged sword. Retrieved from the University of Texas at Austin

counseling center website:

http://www.utexas.edu/ student/cmhc/booklets/perfection/perfect.html

Everything You Ever Needed to Know About Coping With Student Life, But

Were Afraid to Ask

by Dr. Kim Maertz

This booklet is a collection of self-help strategies addressing common psychological issues for

post-secondary students. Created by a psychologist at the University of Alberta’s Student

Counselling Services, the booklet covers the following topics:

Stress

Depression

Sleep Problems

Procrastination

Test Anxiety

Panic Attacks

Anger

Lack of Assertiveness

Perfectionism

To order a copy fill out the form below and mail or fax with payment to the following address:

Attn: Self-Help Booklet Order

Student Counselling Services

2-600 Students’ Union Building

University of Alberta

Edmonton, Alberta

T6G 2J7

Price……… $10.00 (includes 7% GST) plus $3.00 Shipping and Handling ($13.00 total in

Canadian funds)

We accept the following forms of payment: Cheque, Money Order or Indent (for University of

Alberta departments)

Name: ________________________________________

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